Between Horizons
by coatcheckdream
Summary: He was to lie to Naruto, for his own good. Sasuke knows Itachi could be lurking around any corner, but he can’t seem to let Naruto know how much worth he has in Sasuke's eyes. And theres that bothersome Sai ...
1. Deception

Title : Between Horizons [ 1/10  
Author : stupidpoem [ coatcheckdream  
Rating : Eventual R [ blood, swearing and adult situations  
Pairings : Naruto/Sasuke -- slight Sai/Naruto  
Summary : He was to lie to Naruto, for his own good. Sasuke knows Itachi could be lurking around any corner, but he can't seem to let Naruto know how much worth he has in Sasuke's eyes. And theres that bothersome Sai ...

* * *

Sasuke crept silent through the forest brush, eyes glinting strangely feline in the half light. His body moved fluidly and lithe, everything about him reeking of danger and precision. And it was true. All of those terrible horrors that the village of the Leaf had whispered amongst neighboring towns until it had spread like wildfire and reached the missing nin's own ears. All of them were completely and horrendously true.

He reached a still clearing and paused, eyes roaming over every rock and twitching blade of grass. There was no time for error in a mission like this. Picking up his pace, the Uchiha continued with quickened steps. Already his eyes were transforming under starlight and he noticed every sway of leaves, every subtle crunch of twigs beneath his sandals.

"Itachi?" Sasuke's voice sounded clear and strong, echoing across the wall of rock he had come across and becoming audible throughout the entire forest. Hopefully Itachi had kept his half of the bargain and come unaccompanied.

Sasuke rapidly became aware of the soft red glow watching from the shadows until it was him, just as he always remembered, standing before him. Itachi was about the same height as Sasuke now, but still it seemed to the younger of the Uchiha's that Itachi towered over him.

"So you've come," Itachi's voice was all smooth and silk with a hint of amusement. He still wore his Akatsuki kimono even though the group had been disbanded for some time now. The crimson clouds had faded to a dull brown over years of wear but Sasuke could never mistake it.

"Yes. I've come to negotiate," he said carefully, taking in every possible exit from this dead end path. He was only here for one thing, and that one thing he would walk away with.

Itachi smiled cruelly though it was half hidden by the neck of his coat. "You've come for the fox? To ensure his safely? I thought you were over such trivial matters, dear brother."

It took all the will power Sasuke could muster to keep from lunging at his prey. Years, he had waited for a day like this. A chance to finally take his vengeance that he sacrificed so much for. But he needed something else first.

"I need the names of the Sound ninja leading the invasion," Sasuke said with an even tone though his soul was trembling.

"And what do you have of value to me?" Itachi was certainly bemused. His calculating eyes swept over the young Uchiha. He was still donning the kimono from Orochimaru and in a strange way it suited him. Sasuke was all elegance.

Sasuke calmly slipped a hand into his weapon pouch and pulled out a shimmering green gem on a chain. The First Hokage's necklace that he had stolen three days prior from the very heart of Kohona, right from within Uzumaki's apartment. It had been risky, and had he been caught death was most certainly the punishment. But it had to be done and perhaps Naruto would even thank him some day.

Clearly surprised, Itachi moved closer as if to verify it wasn't a decoy. There was no mistaking the strange hue and hazy aura. Yes, the gem would be a valuable asset to his plans. It elicited a satisfied smirk from Itachi and he took the chain from Sasuke's slender fingers.

"I have sent six teams to lead the first assault. The leader's name is Kanya Mituzugo from the hidden village in the Sound. They will be attacking in two days time," Itachi said easily, toying with the necklace.

Sasuke nodded, silently swearing his vengeance a thousand times over in his mind. He still couldn't fathom why even after all this time he had such a concern for Naruto Uzumaki. Never would be admit such a thing to anyone, yet there he was, letting a chance to murder Itachi slip through his fingers.

"Remember the story you must tell, or that entire pitiful village will burn."

The younger Uchiha turned, growling without turning around. "I will be back for you and those words will become truth." Sasuke picked up his pace, seething. He wanted nothing more than to rip into the traitor, the murderer that so closely mirrored himself. Even when he had put miles between him and his brother and he was in the safe seclusion of trees he didn't dare let himself rest. For that sort of luxury was not for traitors like himself.

-----

Sasuke was close, Naruto was sure of it. The blonde had spent years tracking him and finally it came down to this quaint, serene forest so close to Kohona. His eyes searched desperately, body crouched behind a sapling tree. Even with the mental preparations, he still felt his breath catch when he spotted a slender frame leaning against a rock.

Former attack plan abandoned, Naruto stepped out of the shadows. It would have seemed like Sasuke hadn't noticed anything at all except for the sway of his bangs as he shifted his gaze to Naruto.

" … Sasuke?" Hesitantly, Naruto paced forward, looking as if he were afraid the Uchiha would strike without warning. None of their prior meetings had gone pleasantly and he expected no less of this one. But the fire of determination had not left his eyes. He was going to end this and bring his best friend home.

"Naruto," Sasuke said impassively. "You should leave."

The blonde ninja scowled and when he spoke his voice was biting. "This has to end. Just come home with me!" Naruto ventured even closer, unafraid.

Sasuke closed his eyes as if he were suddenly very tired. "Naruto. There will be ninja coming to infiltrate Kohona in two days. They will come looking for you, which is why I'm taking you far enough away that they will not be able to locate you."

For a few stunned minutes, Naruto visibly absorbed this information. A strange look welled up in his eyes; something like torn feelings waging war. He must save Sasuke. He must protect Kohona and everything within it's walls. He must …

"Itachi is dead," Sasuke said solemnly. He said it with such confidence that for a moment he believed it himself. But then those haunting eyes crept into his subconscious and he was sure that beast was still living, waiting to rake claws down his soul.

"He .. What?" Naruto asked, obviously still grappling with the concept of an invasion. How could Itachi be dead? It was only a few months ago that ANBU had spotted him in the far end of Fire County. Naruto shook his head in disbelief.

Sasuke looked up and Naruto swore something was swimming behind his coal eyes but couldn't place exactly what.

"I don't believe you," he finally said with an even tone. At least Naruto hoped that it wasn't truth. He had always imagined that once the other Uchiha was dead, a caged part of Sasuke's soul would finally be free. And standing there before him now, nothing about Sasuke looked free. He appeared as if his entire being was fettered down.

"Hn. Believe what you want, I could care less," Sasuke said with a sneer.

"Why would you tell me information like that. You hate me, remember? Teme?" Naruto felt something change in the tension as the words left his mouth. Sasuke looked caught of guard. Something was off, and Naruto could sense it.

"I don't know why I even bothered," the Uchiha said. He closed his eyes in debate. As if in resolution, he moved forward until his mouth was a breath away from Naruto's ears.

"You must believe what I'm telling you. You're in danger, dobe," he whispered rapidly as if he were afraid of the words spilling from him. A kind of awe dawned on Naruto's face that dominated the previous ferocity.

" … You're worried about me, aren't you?" Naruto said, dumbfounded. "Yeah, you are!" A foxy smile broke out across the boy's face and it was like water being poured into a desert.

Sasuke stepped away, expression stoic. He didn't comment on Naruto's findings. "I'll follow you from a distance back to the village so you can alert the Hokage. But then we really need to find somewhere to hide. They want you," he said.

Naruto furrowed his brow at the word 'they' but didn't say anything. "You mean the Kyuubi. They want the Kyuubi, not me." By now Naruto was tired of being considered one and the same as the fox demon.

"Yes."

"Okay then … I guess we should get going," Naruto said, looking at Sasuke strangely. He felt as though when he looked away the Uchiha would evaporate or something equally as mysterious. A smile came easily to his lips as he looked back. In a rush of wind and grass, the blonde ninja was sprinting through the foliage.

After a safe following distance was established, Sasuke took off after him. A smirk of his own was hardly noticeable but there all the same. He was glad to see Naruto more or less unchanged, even after all he'd been through. The one bond that he had deemed impossible to sever, and for once, the Uchiha felt grateful for this one thing.

---------

Naruto was little more than an orange blur when he entered Kohona, and hardly noticed Sai's presence until he was more or less on top of him. The pale boy gave a practiced smile at Naruto's presence.

"Hello Naruto, I didn't expect you back so soon," he said and closed his sketchbook. Over the years and missions, the two had become closer than anyone had expected, and even now they often went to dinner or training together.

"Yeah, I have some important news for Granny Tsunade. I know I said I'd come see you as soon as I got back, but this can't wait. I'll talk to you later, alright?" Naruto grinned apologetically with a hand rubbing the back of his neck as he walked away.

Sai didn't seem perturbed. In fact he looked slightly relieved. "Good, that means I can finish your gift."

"I can't wait to see it," Naruto said and it was truth. When the blonde had left for his mission a week prior, Sai had promised him something he would love upon his return. As much as Naruto had pestered Sakura, the medical ninja wouldn't let on anything about it, just smiling knowingly.

Back to the task on hand, he easily made the short run to the Hokage's tower and wasted no time in sprinting inside. He received several strange looks as he poked his messy blonde head into every room along the way in an attempt to hunt down Sakura. She spent almost every spare second there continuing her training in the medical field.

"Saaaaakuraaa!" he yelled down the hall, paying no heed to the harsh glares being sent his way when his voice bounced off the silent walls. But it did it's job because Sakura appeared seconds later with a life threatening glare.

"Naruto! You can't just come in here and act like a five year old!" she fumed. No matter how many years past, Naruto was always the same loud mouthed twelve year old at heart. Sakura loved him dearly, but he tested her nerves more than she'd care to talk about.

"Sorry but it's important!" he defended, not sounding sorry at all.

"Well, what is it?" Sakura closed her eyes and rubbed her temple with her thumb.

"I can't really talk about it here, it's kind of a secret," Naruto said with a nervous smile, blue eyes bouncing around the hallway at all the ninja acting nonchalant while they listened in.

Sakura gave him a look that caused Naruto to question his own safety. "I uh … seriously!" he added and just for good measure let the smile slide off of his whiskered cheeks. His friend paused, green eyes flickering in thought but she didn't say anything more.

Tsunade was predictably at her desk, an untouched mountain of paperwork teetering on the edge. Naruto felt relieved to see her face even though she was giving him a less than welcomed stare.

"What is it now, Naruto?" she said with an edge of irritation to her voice. "I have a million things to do so this better be important." Her accusing eyes drifted over to Sakura who abruptly looked away.  
"Granny, we have … a problem."

----

Sasuke watched from the tree line, concealed in chakra and stifling a quickly building rage. A good half mile away a thin, pallid figure was drawing a needle through orange cloth resting on his lap. Sasuke's stand in for the team. He knew just from the interaction between him and Naruto. Red swallowing his vision, he watched Sai dangerously, like a fierce predator observing it's prey. How dare they replace him so easily? With a low growl, Sasuke turned toward the Hokage's tower. He was aware of the ANBU that would most certainly be stationed there, but brushed it off. He was thirsting for blood anyway.


	2. Mistrust

Author's Note :

Quick update, I know. Don't expect the others to be this timely because really I'm a slacker at heart. ; Anyway, enjoy. Feedback is much loved.

x Kitty

* * *

"That's … that's Uchiha!"

The man's screams died in his throat as a blade whistled through his chest and the body slumped forward. A swirling black cat mask fell from his face and Sasuke caught it easily, slinging the cord around his neck so that it rested on his collarbone.

Sasuke couldn't recall the first time he'd killed, which he was sure was just another sign of his slipping humanity, but he never forgot the sounds of it. How could he forget?

Blood welling up in a sliced throat, gurgling and sounding like drowning, only colder and much more lonely. More men were coming but Sasuke didn't mind. The dark haired nin shook the droplets from his blade and his eyes were already drawing blood in their own way. He killed them, five all together, and itched to get the katana out of his hands. But there were worst nightmares to be had, he knew.

From where he stood the Hokage's tower was a clear view, a former ANBU standpoint. He tried to steal a glance inside but the curtains were drawn in Tsunade's office. Muttering a curse under his breath, Sasuke slid the feline mask into place and moved in closer. There was an unavoidable sense of urgency in the air and he wanted to get Naruto out as soon.

---

" Well …" Tsunade pressed fingers over her eyes. "We should set up defenses immediately surrounding Kohona. And you, Naruto, should be kept under strict ANBU elite watch."

The blonde averted his eyes to look out the window in search of Sasuke. He had failed to tell Tsunade that the missing nin was in the village lest he cause a panic. Everyone in the Leaf either despised or feared the traitorous Uchiha and Naruto didn't doubt that any ninja would gladly end him.

"That's great and all, old hag but … wouldn't it be better if I weren't in the village when they attacked? I mean, I'm the one their looking for," he said cautiously and sent a glance in Sakura's direction. Did she know? Could she sense their mourned teammate?

Sakura seemed to understand and stepped forward. "Maybe it would be best if Naruto left the village for a while and went into hiding. If not, all of Fire County could be in danger," she said reasonably. Tsunade considered this with a frown, then sighed heavily.

"Fine. But! I still want you to be escorted by some high rank ninja. I will send them with you upon your departure. You leave tomorrow, so come back by dawn to retrieve your team from me," she said with a finality that Naruto didn't dare question. In his mind he was weighing his options on what to do with Sasuke.

"Thank you sensei," Sakura said with a nod and grabbed Naruto by the arm, effectively dragging him from the room and into the hallway. The blonde gave her a confused look but her green eyes stared straight ahead as she walked toward the door.

Once outside, she guided him toward a patch of trees and roughly pinned her companion to the trunk of the nearest one. "Where is he?" she hissed, eyes narrowed. This was not the Sakura of yester-year who fawned over their former teammate. This was a ninja that had a roughly healed broken heart that still held a tender spot when it came to Sasuke.

"I … uh …" Naruto fumbled, blue eyes downcast. "He's waiting for me, somewhere in the village." Abruptly, the grip loosened on his orange training jacket. He couldn't quite place the expression on Sakura's face. A hint of anger? Regret? Relief?

"I'm coming with you, then."

Naruto made no objections, and for a lingering moment the two were immersed in memories of the long destroyed Team 7. Perhaps they would have stood there reminiscing for longer, but Sai was approaching, his pale face split into an enormous grin.

"Naruto. I have your gift," he said, holding out a white box for the blonde to take.

The package was surprisingly light and he unwrapped it with child-like eagerness. The top discarded, he peered down at a magnificent orange Hokage coat neatly folded and perfectly stitched. For a moment, he was speechless. Pulling the coat from it's container he saw the careful white thread that formed the Japanese characters on the bottom. 

"Sai! This is amazing!" Naruto exclaimed, mouth agape. He could hardly imagine the time and effort that would go into creating such a thing. Even Sakura was running her hand over the smooth material. Sai smiled serenely, apparently pleased with Naruto's reaction.

"It's for you, my favorite person," he said innocently. Naruto looked at him, smiling warmly.

"How about we all go back to my place for some ramen?"

---

Naruto's apartment was mottled with random coatings of dust from lack of use, but the three of them quickly dusted off the table and counters and soon enough, the blonde was walking slowly over the table balancing three bowls of ramen in his arms.

"Hot! Hot!" he exclaimed and set the bowls onto the table.

"You should wait for it to cool down before you carry it," Sai commented and took hold of Naruto's hand, examining the angry red of his fingers. The pale boy proceeded to blow on them, eyes never leaving Naruto. A blush crept up the blonde's cheeks, but Sakura pretended not to notice.

"This was really nice of you, Naruto," she said while positioning her chopsticks. Naruto snatched away his hand and grabbed his own chopsticks.

"Who wouldn't want to share the wonder of ramen with his best friends?" he chirped happily and made short work of the noodles, slurping them noisily. Sai, on the other hand took small conservative bites like Sakura, and the pair looked on as Naruto finished the bowl and slapped it down onto the table with a satisfied noise.

"Maybe you should eat a little slower or you'll end up choking one of these times," the female nin said. Naruto laughed loudly. "I'm too good at eating ramen for that to happen!"

Sai was the only one not laughing, but looking at the door, perplexed. "Why is the Uchiha here?" he said, picking up his paintbrush and a scroll. Naruto grabbed Sai by the shoulder and held him in place.

"No, it's alright," he said and padded over to the front door, sliding it open. Sure enough, Sasuke was standing in the doorway, a cat ANBU mask covering his eyes. The dark haired ninja walked confidently into the room and removed the mask, tossing it onto the floor.

Naruto quickly turned to look at Sakura, who's eyes were frozen on the Uchiha's expressionless face. She appeared to be in disbelief because she didn't speak right away. Sai, on the other hand, boldly stepped up to him.

"So you're Orochimaru's pet, the traitor, Uchiha," he said blandly, head cocked slightly to the side. Sasuke's eyes burned, but he didn't reply. Instead, he turned to look at Naruto.

"Are we leaving now?" he said, voice cool.

Sakura seemed to snap out of her trance, and jumped to her feet.

"We aren't leaving now. And I'm coming," she barked out and she would have come off as brave had her fingertips not have been shaking as they rested on the tabletop.

"Hn. You won't be of any use to us, Sakura," Sasuke said, finally acknowledging her presence. Even after all she had grown, the pinked haired girl still held a fiery temper.

"Don't you _dare_ belittle me, Sasuke," she said, eyes cold.

"Guys! Calm down! We're all on the same side here," Naruto said nervously while slipping in between them with his hands raised in peace. Sai was the one to speak up.

"I'm most certainly not on the same side as that traitorous bastard."

The Uchiha sent a murderous glare his way, muscles visibly tensing. Naruto bit his lip, inwardly debating whether or not he should step in. Luckily, Sakura did so first. Her fist came slamming down onto the table with such force that the forgotten bowls quivered.

"All of you just stop. We aren't leaving tonight and that's all. If you have a problem with that, leave. I'm not fixing any injuries." Her voice was authoritative and full of venom. "I'm going to bed."

With that sentiment she stood and strode into the other room, leaving all three of the boys momentarily stunned. In a rare display of genuine emotion, Sasuke smiled contentedly. "She hasn't changed a bit."

----

All four of them settled into Naruto's apartment for the night. He only had three rooms and a tiny bathroom, and so the blonde had granted Sakura with his own bed and left the other to find their own place to rest.

Naruto had pulled out the sleeping bag he usually reserved for missions and draped it across the wooden floor. Before crawling to it, he glanced around to see Sai laying down across the room and Sasuke sitting with his back against the wall, attentively staring down his replacement with such hatred that Naruto began to wonder if it was safe for them to sleep in the same room.

"Goodnight, Naruto," Sai's voice drifted through the still air.

"Night, Sai."

He said nothing to Sasuke, but felt the burn of eyes from the dark haired ninja's direction. Still, it seemed all too much to think that his best friend was actually in his apartment after all those years of searching. It was too much for Naruto to turn around and look at the lithe figure pressed against the wall. The blonde felt his eyes droop heavily and didn't fight it when they closed.

Everyone was quickly swept into sleep from pure exhaustion of the day's events. But not Sasuke, no. He rarely slept; a trait he had picked up after long years of being hunted and constantly on alert. Even here, disguising his chakra, he didn't feel the least bit safe. This village wasn't his now [ no, nothing belonged to him any longer and he felt it. This was just another potential place to be cornered.

Moonlight leaked through the window and the Uchiha found himself admiring Naruto as he slept. Time changed many things in Sasuke's soul, but nothing ever seemed to reach Naruto's. The boy, though weary from having been through so much, still had such a pure heart that the Uchiha felt a twinge of wrong doing every time he came in contact.

They were so _alike_, yet so painfully different. The blonde was always striving for Sasuke's acceptance, his approval and he never granted it. For a long moment Uchiha stared at Naruto's face, thinking back to that day in The Valley of the End. How he had unwaveringly drove Chidori through his chest, so willingly transformed into more of a demon than Naruto could ever be. All for vengeance. All because of Itachi.

Sasuke stood silently, wanting to be closer. He felt a flicker of shame at his own actions as he listened to Naruto's even breaths. It was such a foreign feeling that he hardly recognized it, but it was there all the same. Infinitely hesitant, he reached his hand out and rested it on Naruto's. Perhaps it was the feeling of the blonde's warm skin that startled him, he didn't know, but he jumped away like he'd been burned. Feeling foolish, Sasuke retreated back to his corner, unsettled.

Some time after that he fell into an uneasy sleep and as always he dreamt of murder and revenge.

----


	3. Between Waking and Dreams

Author's Note :

This is short, I know. But I wanted to get this out before my to-do-list got overwhelming. Feedback is adored. Enjoy. 3

x Kitty

* * *

The morning began a long time before sunrise. Sasuke's eyes flickered in the dark, instinctively roaming over to Naruto's still sleeping form. It seemed that everyone else was asleep too judging from the gentle sighs that drifted through the otherwise undisturbed air.

"Dobe, hey," The Uchiha moved fluidly and shook the blonde's shoulder. When those half aware cornflower eyes blinked up at him, apparently confused, Sasuke fought the urge to laugh.

" … Teme? Is that really you?" Naruto slurred and caught Sasuke off guard when he wrapped his toned arms around the Uchiha's waist and pulled him down onto the makeshift bed. "I missed you, why'd you go?" His voice was muffled against his pillow.

Somewhat panicked, the dark haired shinobi looked desperately around the room. Heat was warming his cheeks as he thought of what the others would think if they saw the all mighty Uchiha Sasuke reduced to nothing more than a teddy bear for a dobe.

Determined, he rolled out of Naruto's grasp. A small whining noise rose from the mess of orange but died off quickly as he rolled over. "Naruto!" Sasuke yelled in a hushed voice. He hadn't met anyone else that could throw his composure out the window like Naruto.

By now Sai staring amused from the other side of the small room. Sasuke cursed under his breath. How long that annoying shinobi been watching? The Uchiha quickly cloaked his discomfort with a sneer and walked briskly from the room.  
Naruto yawned loudly and rolled onto his side facing Sai.

"Good morning Naruto," the boy said with a smile. He didn't mention anything about what he had seen. "Do you want me to make breakfast?" From experience on missions Sai had been found to be quite the excellent cook.

"That would be great!" Naruto exclaimed and sleepily got to his feet, stretching like a cat. "Hurry up though. That old hag will have my head if I'm not there on time." His blue eyes quickly scanned the room before adding "and Sasuke gets all pissed off when I move too slow."

Sai laughed lightly with the blonde and then moved into the kitchen. Naruto padded off to his room to discover that Sakura was already awake and packed for the journey. Her green eyes lit up when he entered the room.

"Naruto, you sleep forever."

"Eh, can't help it! I'm a hard sleeper," he said while rubbing the back of his neck. Already he could smell breakfast wafting in from the other room. "Anyway, Sais cooking breakfast and then we're off I guess." Naruto looked down at his empty bag sitting by the bed and frowned - he hadn't packed anything yet.

"Okay. Hey, where's .. Sasuke?" She said the missing nin's name as if it were physically painful to form the letters on her tongue. Naruto blinked, confused. Now that he thought about it he hadn't seen the dark haired shinobi in the house at all.

"Uh .. I guess I should go find him," the blonde mumbled. He was hungry and the tempting scent of ramen from the kitchen wasn't helping his plight much. Naruto slipped out the back door and wasn't all that surprised to see Sasuke leaning against the side of the building, staring up at the stone Hokage faces carved into the mountainside. For a moment he debated turning around and eating first but instead walked up to stand next to his friend.

"My face will be up there someday, too," Naruto said quietly, not looking at Sasuke. Something about the moment was inexplicably intimate. The two greatest ninjas of team seven standing together in the grey dawn light, not speaking.

"Do .. Do you think that it might have been different? If I hadn't gone after Itachi all those years ago?" Sasuke's voice seemed to startle himself and abruptly he stopped talking and looked down at his clenched hands.

Naruto surveyed his pale face carefully before answering hesitantly. "Yeah … I guess it would have. But this is okay right now, for me anyway." He made a move to grab the Uchiha's hand and for some reason Sasuke didn't dodge it. The two of them stood silent, hands clasped tightly until a scream rose from the house that made Sasuke jump and retract his hand with incredible speed.

"SAI! Is this supposed to be some kind of joke?!"

Naruto winced just from Sakura's tone and retreated inside with an apologetic smile. The scene he walked into would have been funny if the blonde wasn't aware of the potential harm Sakura could inflict to his precious apartment.

Four bowls were sitting on the counter that Sai was currently standing behind . Sakura was trying to corner him, shaking something inky black in front of his face. Naruto had to stifle a snicker.

"A rat?! Are you serious?!" Sakura slammed the rodent down onto the table with such force that it splattered into a puddle of ink. Apparently Sai didn't fear for his life like he should have been doing, because he was smiling broadly. The shinobi was just learning how to "joke" and sometimes they didn't turn out to be the smartest ideas.

"Naruto! Tell him to stop doing things like that," Sakura seethed, but Naruto's mind had gone temporarily blank as he spotted his deluxe ramen waiting for him on the other end of the counter.

"Sai, you're the best!" he exclaimed, breaking his chopsticks and diving right in. Sasuke, who had been lingering in the doorway, scowled at the smug grin that Sai was sending his way.

"Sasuke, aren't you going to eat? We have a while to go!" The blonde pushed a bowl of ramen in his direction encouragingly. The Uchiha paced over to it and sat down. He was not going to let Sai win this war, even if it meant eating more ramen [ which he wasn't so fond of just to prove a point.

"I thought you didn't like ramen?" Sai stated with a smile that Sasuke took as a challenge.

"And I don't think that it's any of your business what I eat."

"Guys! Geez. It's just breakfast, knock it off! We have a whole mission to go on and you seriously can't be fighting all the time," Naruto ranted, totally missing the point that it was over him that they were arguing. Sasuke snorted at the blonde's ignorance but didn't say anything else to Sai.

In the mean time, Sakura had calmed down a little. She looked at the three boys and spoke with authority. "After we leave Leaf Village, we have to be very careful. We don't know where these ninja are coming from or how they plan on attacking. So you are going to have to get along," she said, eyeing Sasuke and Sai.

"Hn," came the Uchiha's reply. Really, he wasn't in the mood to listen to his former teammate speak. He sent a side glance at Naruto, eyes dark. Coming into this, Sasuke hadn't planned on all these people to tag along …

"I think we should go now," Sai said softly and tugged on Naruto's arm, smiling. Sasuke glared daggers at the other boy, but said nothing as he rose.

----

"As I'm sure you already know, your team is going to consist of Sakura and Sai. The only reason I'm placing you all together again is because I know you work well with each other," Tsunade told the ninja gathered around her desk. They all listened intently except for Naruto who was staring out the window into the trees.

"When should we leave?" Sakura asked, kicking Naruto in the shin to draw his attention back to the meeting. He scowled and grudgingly directed his blue eyes at Tsunade.

"Immediately," the Sannin replied, looking serious. And with that she sighed, head in her hands. "How did you know about this ambush, Naruto?"

The blonde stood there stupidly, mouth half open before he decided on a decent response. "I told you, when I was looking for … Sasuke, I overheard." Somehow, the lie sounded obvious to his own ears.

Tsunade studied him suspiciously but didn't call him out on his story. "Good luck in finding him. Sasuke, I mean," she said and flicked her wrist toward the door. "Now go. And keep safe, all over you." Her eyes roamed over the three. Maybe it was her age catching up to her, but Naruto noticed her weary face and tired posture and felt a pang of concern for her.

"We will," it was Sai who spoke this time and bowed his head. Naruto and Sakura shared a knowing look and braced themselves for the reuniting of Team Seven after so many long years. 


End file.
